Anterior and inferior segment ventricular restoration apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

The symptoms of congenital heart failure are addressed in this surgical procedure for mounting a patch in the ventricle of the heart to reduce ventricular volume. Placement of the patch is facilitated by palpating a beating heart to identify akinetic, although normal appearing, tissue. An apical patch having an oval configuration facilitates return of the heart to a normal apical shape which enhances muscle fiber efficiency and a normal writhing pumping action. An inferior patch having a triangular configuration can also be used. The patches include a semi-rigid ring, and a circumferential rim to address bleeding. Patch placement is further enhanced by creating a Fontan-type neck and use of pledged sutures. Intraoperative vascularization and valve replacement is easily accommodated. Increased injection fraction, reduced muscle stress, improved myocardial protection, and ease of accurate patch placement are all achieved with this procedure.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/216,348, filed Aug. 9, 2002 now abandoned, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/689,254, filed Oct. 11, 2000, U.S.Pat. No. 6,450,171, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/235,664, filed Jan. 22, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,104, whichis a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/071,817, filed May 1, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,096.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to surgical methods and apparatus foraddressing ischemic cardiomyopathy, and more specifically to methods andapparatus for restoring the architecture and normal function of amammalian heart.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

The function of a heart in an animal is primarily to deliverlife-supporting oxygenated blood to tissue throughout the body. Thisfunction is accomplished in four stages, each relating to a particularchamber of the heart. Initially deoxygenated blood is received in theright auricle of the heart. This deoxygenated blood is pumped by theright ventricle of the heart to the lungs where the blood is oxygenated.The oxygenated blood is initially received in the left auricle of theheart and ultimately pumped by the left ventricle of the heartthroughout the body. It can be seen that the left ventricular chamber ofthe heart is of particular importance in this process as it is reliedupon to pump the oxygenated blood initially through a mitral valve intoand ultimately throughout the entire vascular system.

A certain percentage of the blood in the left ventricle is pumped duringeach stroke of the heart. This pumped percentage, commonly referred toas the ejection fraction, is normally about sixty percent. It can beseen that in a heart having a left ventricular volume such as seventymilliliters, an ejection fraction of sixty percent would deliverapproximately 42 milliliters of blood into the aorta. A heart withreduced left ventricular volume might have an ejection fraction of only40% and provide a stroke volume of only 28 millimeters.

Realizing that the heart is part of the body tissue, and the heartmuscle also requires oxygenated blood, it can be appreciated that thenormal function of the heart is greatly upset by clotting or closure ofthe coronary arteries. When the coronary arteries are blocked, anassociate portion of the heart muscle becomes oxygen-starved and beginsto die. This is clinically referred to as a heart attack. Ischemiccardiomyopathy typically occurs as the rest of the heart dilates in anattempt to maintain the heart's output to the body.

As the ischemic area loses its contraction, the area of dilatation isrestricted to the remaining muscle. The three regions of typicalinfraction include, 1) the anterior wall septum and anterolateral wallwhich are supplied by the anterior descending coronary artery; 2) theseptum and inferior wall supplied by the left anterior artery and theright coronary artery which narrows due to the heart's elliptical shape;and 3) the lateral wall supplied by the circumflex artery which perfusesthe lateral wall including the papillary muscle attachments to theventricular wall.

As the ischemic cardiomyopathy progresses, the various structures of theheart are progressively involved including the septum, the apex and theanterolateral wall of the left ventricle. Within a particular wall, theblood starvation begins at the inside of the wall and progresses to theoutside of the wall. It can be seen that addressing ischemiccardiomyopathy shortly after the heart attack can limit the detrimentaleffects to certain elements of the heart structure, as well as the innermost thicknesses of the walls defining those structures.

As a heart muscle is denied blood nourishment support, its ability toparticipate, let alone aid, in the cardiac pumping function, is greatlydiminished and typically nil. Such muscle is commonly referred to asakinetic, meaning it does not move. In some cases the wall will formelastic scar tissue which tends to balloon in response to the pumpingaction. This muscle tissue is not only akinetic, in that it does notcontribute to the pumping function, but it is in fact dyskinetic, inthat it detracts from the pumping function.

The akinetic tissue will, in addition to not contracting, cause cardiacenlargement due to dilatation or loss of its contractile capacity. Thedilatation will widen, and thereby change the fiber orientation of theremaining muscle in the left ventricle. This will make the ventriclespherical, and change it from the normal elliptical form which optimizescontraction.

The shape of the ventricle is normally elliptical or conical with anapex that allows a 60 degree fiber orientation of the muscle. Thisorientation ensures efficient development of intramuscular torsion tofacilitate the pumping of blood. Compression of the left ventricularcavity occurs by torsional defamation which thickens the leftventricular wall. This increases progressively from the mid-ventricularwall to the apex. As a result, maintenance of the apical anchor is acentral theme of cardiac contraction.

Perhaps the most notable symptom of ischemic cardiomyopathy is thereduction in the ejection fraction which may diminish, for example, froma normal sixty percent to only twenty percent. This results clinicallyin fatigue, and inability to do stressful activities, that require anincrease in output of blood from the heart. The normal response of theheart to a reduction in ejection fraction is to increase the size of theventricle so that the reduced percentage continues to deliver the sameamount of oxygenated blood to the body. By way of example, the volume ofthe left ventricle may double in size. Furthermore, a dilated heart willtend to change its architecture from the normal conical or apical shape,to a generally spherical shape. The output of blood at rest is keptnormal, but the capacity to increase output of blood during stress(i.e., exercise, walking) is reduced. Of course, this change inarchitecture has a dramatic effect on wall thickness, radius, and stresson the heart wall. In particular, it will be noted that absent thenormal conical shape, the twisting motion at the apex, which can accountfor as much as one half of the pumping action, is lost. As aconsequence, the more spherical architecture must rely almost totally onthe lateral squeezing action to pump blood. This lateral squeezingaction is inefficient and very different from the more efficienttwisting action of the heart. The change in architecture of the heartwill also typically change the structure and ability of the mitral valveto perform its function in the pumping process. Valvular insufficiencycan also occur due to dilatation.

A major determinant of both cardiac oxygen requirement and efficiency isbased upon a formula where stress or pressure is multiplied by theradius and divided by twice the thickness of the cardiac wall.Increasing stress reduces contractility or rejecting capacity, andraises energy requirements in the remaining contracting muscle. As theshape changes from elliptical to spherical, wall stress increasesthereby demanding higher energy from the remaining cardiac muscle. Thisdilation, which occurs anteriorly, effects the septum, apex andanterolateral wall. Thus, the normally oval apex becomes more sphericaldue to 1) a loss of infarcted muscle, and 2) dilation of the remainingcontracting muscle.

With inferior coronary artery involvement, the inferior wall, septum,and apex are affected. These elements form, naturally a myocardialtriangle, with a base adjacent to the mitral valve, and the septum andfree lateral walls forming the planes going to the cardiac apex. As thetriangle becomes widened, due to loss of contracting muscle afterinfraction, the same form of ventricular dilatation occurs. However,instead of making the oval ventricle into a sphere in the anteriorsegment, with subsequent enlargement (dilatation) of the non-infarctedremaining contracting muscle, there is an increase in the triangleinferiorly. As a result, there is an increase in both the transversediameter as well as the longitudinal dimension. Thus, inferior coronaryinvolvement results in dilatation of the entire inferior segment.

Although the dilated heart may be capable of sustaining life, it issignificantly stressed and rapidly approaches a stage where it can nolonger pump blood effectively. In this stage, commonly referred to ascongestive heart failure, the heart becomes distended and is generallyincapable of pumping blood returning from the lungs. This furtherresults in lung congestion and fatigue. Congestive heart failure is amajor cause of death and disability in the United States whereapproximately 400,000 cases occur annually.

Following coronary occlusion, successful acute reperfusion bythrombolysis, (clot dissolution) percutaneous angioplasty, or urgentsurgery can decrease early mortality by reducing arrhythmias andcardiogenic shock. It is also known that addressing ischemiccardiomyopathy in the acute phase, for example with reperfusion, maysalvage the epicardial surface. Although the myocardium may be renderedakinetic, at least it is not dyskinetic. Post-infarction surgicalrevascularization can be directed at remote viable muscle to reduceischemia. However, it does not address the anatomical consequences ofthe akinetic region of the heart that is scarred. Despite thesetechniques for monitoring ischemia, cardiac dilation and subsequentheart failure continue to occur in approximately fifty percent ofpost-infarction patients discharged from the hospital.

The distribution of heart failure is more common with occlusion of theleft anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) due to its perfusion ofthe apex. But, this can also occur with inferior infarction, especiallyif there is inadequate blood supply to the apex due to 1) prior damageto the left anterior descending artery, or 2) inadequate blood supplydue to stenosis or poor function. In general, the distribution ofischemia is 45% anterior, 40% inferior, and 15% circumflex. However, theincidence of congestive heart failure is more common in the anteriorinfarction.

Various surgical approaches have been taken primarily to reduce theventricular volume. This is also intended to increase the ejectionfraction of the heart. In accordance with one procedure, viable muscleis removed from the heart in an attempt to merely reduce its volume.This procedure, which is typically accomplished on a beating heart, hasbeen used for hearts that have not experienced coronary disease, butnevertheless, have dilated due to leaking heart valves. Other attemptshave been made to remove the scarred portion of the heart and to closethe resulting incision. This has also had the effect of reducing theventricular volume.

In a further procedure, a round, circular patch has been proposed forplacement typically in the lateral ventricular wall. Unfortunately,providing the patch with a circular shape has allowed the dilated heartto remain somewhat enlarged with a thin and over-stressed wall section.The exact placement of the patch has been visually determined using onlya visual indication where the typically white scar tissue meets thetypically red normal tissue. Location of the patch has been facilitatedin a further procedure where a continuous suture has been placed aroundthe ventricular wall to define a neck for receiving the patch. The neckhas been formed in the white scar tissue rather than the soft viablemuscle. This procedure has relied on cardioplegia methods to stop thebeating of the heart and to aid in suture placement.

In the past, the patch has been provided with a fixed or semi-rigid wallwhich has prevented the muscle from becoming reduced to an apical anchorwhich facilitates the twisting motion. The patches have had a fixedplanar configuration which have prevented the lateral muscle fromcoapting to form an apex.

These surgical procedures have been met with some success as theejection fraction has been increased, for example, from twenty-fourpercent to forty-two percent. However, despite this level of success,little attention has been paid to myocardial protection, the potentialfor monitoring the writhing action associated with apical structure, orthe preferred structure for the patch. Failure to protect the heartduring restoration of the segment has increased hospital mortality,morbidity, and irreversibly damaged some normal muscle needed tomaintain the heart's output.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The procedure of the present invention is preferably performed on abeating heart. This is believed to greatly improve the myocardialprotection during the restoration process. The procedure furtherbenefits from the beating of the heart by providing a palpableindication of preferred patch placement. As opposed to prior procedures,the primary intent is to exclude, not only the budging dyskineticsegments, but also the non-contracting akinetic segments of the heartwhich do not contribute to the pumping action. As a result, akineticsegments, despite a normal visual appearance, can be included forexclusion in this procedure. The process may include an endoventriclarFontan suture, but the stitch will typically be placed in normal tissuewith palpable guidance rather than in scar tissue and only a visualdetermination.

A non-circular, anatomically-shaped, typically oval patch is proposedand may be formed of a sheet material such as mammalian fixedpericardium. The patch may include a continuous ring which separates thebody of the material from a hemostatic rim or flange which facilitatesbleeding control. The patch is fixed to the Fontan neck preferably usingpledgeted, interrupted sutures to secure patch placement and avoiddistortion. Closure of the excluded ventricle over the hemostatic patchavoids dead space and provides security against patch leaks andresulting expansion.

For anterior infarction, the Fontan suture will change the sphericalcircular muscle evident by ventricular opening, to an oval configurationwhich conforms more precisely to the elliptical or gothic ventricularconfiguration.

For inferior infarction, the endoventricular suture is placed to reformthe triangle (i.e. septum, apex, inferior wall) that becomes enlarged bythe noncontractile muscle after infarction. This muscle can eitherappear normal, be scarred trabecularly, or scarred completely to divergefrom the normal triangular smaller size configuration. The intent is to“retriangulate” the inferior wall to its more normal configuration.

The restoration of an anatomically shaped apex with an oval patch mayinclude the conical configuration of the patch to ensure progressivere-creation of the cone by the improving muscle. For this reason, thering (attached to the more normal remaining muscle but not thecontracting muscle) should be completely pliable (not rigid orsemi-rigid) to allow reformation of the cone by contracting muscle. Ascardiac output improves with ventricular volume reduction and wallmotion, contractility increases during healing. A semi-rigid cone orapical patch can fix this transverse diameter to prevent coaptation.

The use of a conical apical patch may avoid closure of the muscle of theexcluded area over the patch to thereby allow the normalre-configuration to occur. For this reason, it may be desirable to makethe rim of the patch (the border that is not connected to theinterventricular chain) to be relatively wide. In this case, a 1-2centimeter size will typically allow the material surface (i.e.pericardium fascia or other soft element) to be coated to remainingmuscle for hemostatic purposes. Thus, the closure of the muscle over thepatch can be avoided without limiting restoration of the apicalconfiguration if bleeding occurs beneath the closed muscle.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will becomemore apparent with a description of preferred embodiments and referenceto the associated drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the abdominal cavity of a human bodyshowing the heart in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the heart showing coronary arteries whichfeed the septum, apex and lateral wall of the myocardium;

FIG. 3 is a axial cross section view of the ventricular portions of theheart illustrating a dilated, generally spherical left ventricle;

FIG. 4 is an anterior elevation view of the heart with an incision intothe left ventricle through dyskinetic scar tissue;

FIG. 5 is an anterior elevation view similar to FIG. 4 where theincision is made in marbled akinetic tissue;

FIG. 6 is an anterior elevation view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating theincision made in normal-looking akinetic tissue;

FIG. 7 is a axial cross section view of the left ventricle showing thesurgeon's hand palpating the mycardium to define an imaginarycircumferential line of separation between viable and akinetic tissue;

FIG. 8 is a axial cross section view similar to FIG. 7 illustrating thepalpating heart and a preferred zone of placement for a patch associatedwith the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an anterior elevation view similar to FIG. 4 and illustratingplacement of a Fontan stitch in the ventricular wall;

FIG. 10 is an axial cross section view illustrating a Fontan neckcreated by the Fontan stitch;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of the opening illustrated in FIG. 9with the Fontan suture tightened to facilitate the natural ovalformation of the opening;

FIG. 12A is a plan view of sheet material included in one embodiment ofthe patch associated with the present invention;

FIG. 12B is a cross section view taken along lines 12B-12B of FIG. 12Aand illustrating the sheet material in a concave configuration;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a ring associated with the patch of thepresent invention;

FIG. 14 is a circumferential cross section taken along lines 14-14 ofFIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view showing the sheet material and ring combinedto form one embodiment of the patch of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a cross section view of the patch taken along lines 16-16 ofFIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a cross section view similar to FIG. 12B and illustrating thesheet material in a convex configuration;

FIG. 18 is a cross section view similar to FIG. 16 and illustrating thering disposed on a concave surface of the sheet material;

FIG. 19 is a cross section view similar to FIG. 18 and illustrating thering sandwiched between two pieces of the sheet material;

FIG. 20 is a cross section view similar to FIG. 19 and illustrating thering sandwiched between two pieces of material, but having only a singlelayer in the center of the patch;

FIG. 21 is an anterior elevation view similar to FIG. 11 andillustrating the placement of pledgeted, interrupted sutures engagingthe patch in a remote location;

FIG. 22A is an axial cross section view of the left ventricleillustrating the patch being moved along the interrupted sutures fromthe remote location to the Fontan neck;

FIG. 22B is a perspective view similar to FIG. 21 and illustrating analternative method for placement of interrupted sutures;

FIG. 23 is an axial cross section view similar to FIG. 22 andillustrating the patch in its final disposition against the Fontan neck,and further illustrating use of the hemostatic rim to control bleeding;

FIG. 24 is an axial cross section view of the ventricular portion of theheart, with the patch mounted in place, the ventricle wall restored toits apical configuration, and the lateral ventricular wall closed inoverlapping relationship with the septum wall next to the patch;

FIG. 25 illustrates a front elevation view of the heart after it hasbeen lifted from the chest cavity and its apex has been rotatedbackwardly about its base to expose the inferior wall of the heart;

FIG. 26 is a front elevation view similar to FIG. 25 and illustrating anincising step in a method for patching the inferior wall of the heart;

FIG. 27 is a front elevation view similar to FIG. 26 and illustratingthe preferred placement of basting sutures to retriangulate the inferiorwall of the heart;

FIG. 28 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of aninferior patch; being sutured to the heart of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a front elevation view similar to FIG. 28 and illustratingfinal placement of the patch with a circumferential rim extendingoutwardly of the ventricle along the inner surface of the inferior wall;and

FIG. 30 is a front elevation view similar to FIG. 29 and illustratingfinal suturing of the circumferential rim to the inner surface of theinferior wall.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION

Abdominal portions of the human body are illustrated in FIG. 1 anddesignated by the reference numeral 10. The body 10 is merelyrepresentative of any mammalian body having a heart 12 which pumps bloodcontaining nutrients and oxygen, to vitalize tissue in all areas of thebody 10. Other organs of particular importance to this blood circulationprocess include the lungs 14 and 16, and the vasculature of the body 10including arteries which carry blood away from the heart 12 and veinswhich return blood to the heart 12.

The heart 12 typically includes four chambers, a right auricle 18, aright ventricle 21, a left auricle 23 and a left ventricle 25. Ingeneral, the auricles 18 and 23 are receiving chambers and theventricles 21 and 25 are pumping chambers. Each of these chambers 18-25is associated with a respective function of the heart 12. For example,it is the purpose of the right auricle 18 to receive the deoxygenatedblood returning in the veins of the body 10, such as the femoral vein27. From the right auricle 18, the deoxygenated blood passes into theright ventricle 21 from which it is pumped through a pulmonary artery 30to the lungs 14 and 16.

Within the lungs 14 and 16, the deoxygenated blood is reoxygenated andreturned to the left auricle 23 of the heart 12 through a pulmonary vein32. From this chamber, the oxygenated blood passes through a mitralvalve 34 into the left ventricle 25. With each beat of the heart 12, theleft ventricle 25 contracts pumping the oxygenated blood into thearteries of the body, such as the femoral artery 36.

The shape of the normal heart 12 is of particular interest as itdramatically affects the way that the blood is pumped. It will be noted,for example, that the left ventricle 25, which is the primary pumpingchamber, is somewhat elliptical, conical or apical in shape in that itis longer than it is wide and descends from a base 35 with a decreasingcross-sectional circumference, to a point or apex 37. The left ventricleis further defined by a lateral ventricle wall 38, and a septum 41 whichextends between the atrium 18, 23, and between the ventricles 21, 25.The mitral valve 34 is situated in an antero-ventricular junction whichextends laterally between the atrium 18, 23, and ventricles 21, 25. The“base” of the inferior muscle is also in this general location. Thiswide base 35 extends to the apex 37 on the inferior cardiac surface. Inthe area of the base 35, the muscle is relatively flat or slightlyspherical compared to the curvilinear form in the anterior wall. Themuscle fiber orientation is maintained at approximately 60 degrees frombase 35 to apex 37 to maintain the torsional gradient which facilitatesejection. This orientation of fibers changes to accentuate ejection,with less twisting at the base 35 and more twisting at the apex 37.

On the backside, the heart 12 has an inferior wall 44 that is not curvedor linear, but rather flat or slightly spherical in configuration. Thisinferior wall 44 extends from the antero-ventricular junction 42, at thewide area of the heart, toward the apex 37.

The pumping of the blood from the left ventricle 25 is accomplished bytwo types of motion. One of these motions is a simple squeezing motionwhich occurs between the lateral wall 38 and the septum 41 asillustrated by the arrows 43 and 45, respectively. The squeezing motionoccurs as a result of a thickening of the muscle fibers in themyocardium. This compresses the blood in the ventricle chamber 25 andejects it into the body 10. The thickening is reduced in diastole (whenthe heart is contracting) and increased in systole (when the heart isejecting). This is seen easily by echocardiogram, and can be routinelymeasured.

In addition to the squeezing, there is a twisting of fibers that resultsin thickening of the ventricular wall, and shortening of the muscle fromthe base 35 to the apex 37. This is the predominant aspect of leftventricle systole. The muscle untwists after twisting (when the heart isprepared to fill) during the first third of ventricular relaxation.

The twisting or writhing motion which begins at the apex 37 and risestoward the base 35, as shown by the arrow 47. The rising writhing motionoccurs because the heart muscle fibers run in a circular or spiraldirection around the heart 12. When these fibers constrict, they causethe heart to twist initially at the small area of the apex 37, butprogressively and ultimately to the wide area of the base 35.

Recent studies by MRI show that twisting in systole accounts forapproximately 80% of stroke volume, while untwisting (in diastole)accounts for 80% of left ventricle filling. This twisting and untwistingoccurs in the same muscle segments, as the ventricle shortens duringejection and lengthens after blood is ejected.

The amount of blood pumped from the left ventricle 25 divided by theamount of blood available to be pumped is referred to as the ejectionfraction of the heart 12. Generally, the higher the ejection fractionthe more healthy the heart. A normal heart, for example, may have atotal volume of one hundred milliliters and an ejection fraction ofsixty percent. Under these circumstances, 60 milliliters of blood arepumped with each beat of the heart 12. It is this volume of blood in thenormal heart of this example, that is pumped with each beat to providenutrients including oxygen to the muscles and other tissues of the body10.

The muscles of the body, of course, include the heart muscle ormyocardium which defines the various chambers 18-25 of the heart 12.This heart muscle also requires the nutrients and oxygen of the blood inorder to remain viable. With reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen thatthe anterior or front side of the heart 12 receives oxygenated bloodthrough a common artery 58 which bifurcates into a septal artery branch52, which is directed toward the septum 41, and an anterior descendingartery 54 which is directed toward the apex 37 and the lateral ventriclewall 38.

The inferior wall 44 is supplied by the right coronary artery which alsoperfuses the septum 41. This wall 44 forms a triangle which extends fromthe base 35 to the apex 37. Consequently, the apex 37 is supplied byboth the anterior descending artery and the right coronary artery.

When a blockage occurs in one of these coronary arteries, that portionof the heart muscle which is fed by the blocked artery no longerreceives the oxygen needed to remain viable. These blockages typicallyoccur in the common artery 58 and in the septal artery branch 52. Whenthe common artery is involved, the septum 41, apex 37 and lateral wall38 all become ischemic or oxygen deprived. When only the septal arterybranch 52 is involved, the ischemic symptoms are limited primarily tothe septum 41 and the apex 37. In this latter case, the septum 41 isalmost always affected, the apex 31 is usually affected, and the lateralwall 38 is sometimes affected.

As the ischemia progresses through its various stages, the affectedmyocardium dies losing its ability to contribute to the pumping actionof the heart. The ischemic muscle is no longer capable of contracting soit cannot contribute to either squeezing or the twisting motion requiredto pump blood. This non-contracting tissue is said to be akinetic. Insevere cases the akinetic tissue, which is not capable of contracting,is in fact elastic so that blood pressure tends to develop a bulge orexpansion of the chamber. This is particularly detrimental as thelimited pumping action available, as the heart 12 loses even more of itsenergy to pumping the bulge instead of the blood.

The body's reaction to ischemic infarction is of particular interest.The body 10 seems to realize that with a reduced pumping capacity, theejection fraction of the heart is automatically reduced. For example,the ejection fraction may drop from a normal sixty percent to perhapstwenty percent. Realizing that the body still requires the same volumeof blood for oxygen and nutrition, the body causes its heart to dilateor enlarge in size so that the smaller ejection fraction pumps about thesame amount of blood. As noted, a normal heart with a blood capacity ofseventy milliliters and an ejection fraction of sixty percent would pumpapproximately 42 milliliters per beat. The body seems to appreciate thatthis same volume per beat can be maintained by an ejection fraction ofonly thirty-percent if the ventricle 25 enlarges to a capacity of 140milliliters. This increase in volume, commonly referred to as“remodeling” not only changes the volume of the left ventricle 25, butalso its shape. The heart 12 becomes greatly enlarged and the leftventricle 25 becomes more spherical in shape losing its apex 37 asillustrated in FIG. 3. In this view, the stippled area of cross sectionshows the ischemic or infracted region of the myocardium.

On the level of the muscle fibers, it has been noted that dilation ofthe heart causes the fibers to reorient themselves so that they aredirected away from the inner heart chamber containing the blood. As aconsequence, the fibers are poorly oriented to accomplish even thesqueezing action as the lines of force become less perpendicular to theheart wall. It will be noted that this change in fiber orientationoccurs as the heart dilates and moves from its normal elliptical shapeto its dilated spherical shape. The spherical shape further reducespumping efficiency since the fibers which normally encircle the apex tofacilitate writhing are changed to a more flattened formation as aresult of these spherical configurations. The resulting orientation ofthese fibers produce lines of force which are also directed laterally ofthe ventricle chamber 25. Thus, the dilatation and resulting sphericalconfiguration greatly reduce contraction efficiency. It also raisesmyocardial oxygen demands as torsional defamation (strain) increases.When a remote muscle is supplied by a non-occluded vessel under stress,the remote muscle tends to contract inefficiently.

Although the remodeling of the heart 12 by the body 10 helps inmaintaining the blood flow, it places the heart wall under considerablestress which eventually can result in congestive heart failure. Whilemyocardial ischemia or infarction is the primary cause of death anddisability in this country, congestive heart failure is certainly thesecondary cause with over 400,000 cases reported annually. It is thispost-infarction congestive heart failure which is a primary focus of thepresent invention.

As noted, successful acute reprefusion by thrombolysis, percutaneousangioplasty, or urgent surgery can decrease early mortality by reducingarrhythmia and cardiogenic shock. These procedures applied in the earlystages of ischemia can also aid in salvaging the epicardial surface ofthe myocardium and thereby prevent akinetic tissue from becomingdyskinetic. Notwithstanding these known methods of intervention, cardiacdilation and subsequent congestive heart failure occur in approximatelyfifty percent of the post-infarction patients.

Ventricular volume is not excessive or >100 ml/m² left ventricular endsystolic volume. The akinetic lateral wall may contain non-functional(contractile tissue) that is hibernating. This indicates viable tissuethat improves contraction several months after completerevascularization or when ventricular volume is reduced to produce amore normal ventricular contour (i.e. ellipse). This recovery afterrevascularization can occur only when ventricular volume is not verylarge, or the left ventricular end systolic volume index >100 m/m². Thisaspect of recovery of akinetic hibernating muscle is potentiallyimportant when the ventricular shape is changed surgically to go from asphere (failing heart) to a conical or apical (more normalconfiguration) contour.

The procedure of the present invention addresses the effects ofmyocardial infarction using a cardioprotective approach to restore thegeometry of the left ventricle. This is not a “remodeling” procedureautomatically produced by the body 10, nor a “reconstructive” procedurewhich leaves the heart with other than a normal geometry. Rather, thisis a procedure which attempts to “restore” the normal geometry, andparticularly the apical configuration of the left ventricle 25. Theprocedure reduces the volume of the left ventricle 25, but alsoincreases the percentage of the ventricle wall which is viable. Thisgreatly increases the ejection fraction of the heart and significantlyreduces heart stress.

With a primary purpose of reducing the left ventricle volume, the intentof the procedure initially is to remove that portion of the wall whichis not capable of contracting. This, of course, includes the scarreddyskinetic segments, which are easy to visualize, but may also includeakinetic segments, which do not contract despite their normalappearance.

An incision 61 is cut into the myocardial wall of the dilated heart 12as illustrated in FIG. 4. If the surrounding tissue is dyskinetic, itwill typically be formed entirely of thin, elastic scar tissue. It isthe elasticity of this scar tissue which causes the detrimentalballooning or bulging effects previous discussed.

In some cases, the tissue surrounding the incision 61 will be somewhatmarbled as illustrated in FIG. 5 with patches of both scar tissue 63 andviable red tissue 65. This marbled tissue is often characterized bytrabeculae 67 which form ridges along the inner surface or endotheliumof the wall. In spite of the presence of some viable tissue 65, thesemarbled walls of the heart 12 may nevertheless be akinetic.

With reference to FIG. 6, it is apparent that the akinetic portion ofthe myocardium may even appear to be viable with an absence of whitescar tissue and the presence of a full red color. Nevertheless, theseportions are akinetic and offer no positive effect to the pumpingprocess.

Given these factors, it is apparent that a determination as to where theakinetic portions begin and end cannot be a visual determination asrelied on by the prior art. Although the visual appearance may be ofsome value in this determination, ultimately, one must palpate thetissue as illustrated in FIG. 7. Note that this emphasizes theimportance of performing the restorative surgery on a beating heart. Bypalpating the myocardial wall, one can feel where the contractions ofthe lateral ventricular wall 38 and the septum 41 begin and end. Withoutregard for color or other properties visually distinguishable, thepalpating will usually indicate viable tissue on one side of animaginary circumferential line 70, with akinetic and dyskinetic tissueon the other side of the imaginary line 70. As described in greaterdetail below, a patch 72 will ultimately be positioned relative to thisimaginary circumferential line 70 not only to reduce the volume of theleft ventricle 25 but also to define that reduced volume with a largerpercentage of viable heart muscle.

After the preferred location of the patch 72 has been determinedrelative to the circumferential line 70, a continuous Fontan stitch 74can be placed in proximity to the line 70 as illustrated in FIG. 9. Thisstitch 74 produces an annular protrusion 76 which forms a neck 78relative to the imaginary line 70. This neck 78 initially may have around circular configuration as illustrated in FIG. 9. However, as thesuture 74 is tightened, the musculature of the myocardium will form anatural oval shape as illustrated in FIG. 11. It is this oval-shapedneck 78, formed by the Fontan stitch 74, which in its natural ovoidshape is particularly adapted to receive the patch 72 of the presentinvention.

Providing the patch 72 with a configuration complimentary to the ovoidshape of the Fontan stitch 74 is believed to be of particular importanceand advantage to the present invention. In the past, patches of a round,circular form were used. This form maintained the fibers in their lessefficient transverse orientation. This was especially true of rigid andsemi-rigid patches. As a result, the fiber contraction continued to bevery inefficient. Providing the patch with an oval configurationrestores the apex 37 or elliptical form of the heart 12. On a musclefiber level, the fibers are directed back to the more efficient 60degree orientation which produces lines of force more perpendicular withrespect to the heart wall 38. This reorientation of the lines of forcesgreatly increases contraction efficiency.

Of perhaps equal concern is the use of semi-rigid or rigid rings on thepatches of the past. By keeping the edges of the patch in a rigidconfiguration, these rings have inhibited the natural tendency of theheart to form the remaining muscle into a normal apical chamber.

Construction of various embodiments of the patch 72 are discussed withreference to FIGS. 12A-20. In the plan view of FIG. 12A, a sheetmaterial 81 is illustrated to have the shape of an ellipse with a majoraxis 83 between 30 and 50 millimeters and a minor axis 85 between 20 and30 millimeters. It is contemplated that the sheet material 81 can beprovided in two sizes, such as 20×30 millimeters and 30×40 millimeters.

The sheet material 81 may be formed, for example, from Dacron(Hemoshield), or polytetrafluroethylene (Gortex). However in a preferredembodiment, the sheet material 81 is formed of autologous pericardium,or some other fixed mammalium tissue such as bovine or porcinepericardium. Importantly, the sheet material 81 is preferably sized andconfigured with a shape similar to that of the Fontan neck 78 asillustrated in FIG. 11. As noted, this shape is non-circular andpreferably oval.

The sheet material 81 can have a generally fiat planar configuration, orcan be shaped as a section of a sphere. The spherical shape can beachieved as illustrated in FIG. 12B by fixing the pericardium while itis stretched over a spherical die to form a concave surface 89.

In addition to the sheet material 81, the patch 72 also preferablyincludes a ring 87 which will typically have a toroidal configurationwith a circumferential cross section that is circular, as shown in FIG.13. The ring will typically be formed of a plastic graft material thatcan also be made of curled autogenous tissue such as fascia orpericardium. In general, the ring 87 can be formed from anybiocompatible material having a degree of flexibility suitable toprevent interference with the normal contractions of the heart 12.

The circumferential cross section view of FIG. 14 illustrates that thering 87 may be enclosed in a tubular sheath 90 which may be formed fromwoven Dacron, and incorporated to promote tissue in growth to the patch72.

The ring 87 will generally have a non-circular shape which may besimilar to but smaller than the shape of the material 81. Providing thering 87 with a shape similar to the material 81 will enable the ring 87to be attached to the material 81 as illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 witha body 91 of the patch disposed within the ring 87, and acircumferential rim or flange 93 disposed outwardly of the ring 87. Therim 93 will preferably have a constant width around its circumference.This width will typically be in a range between 5 and 8 millimeters.

Many variations on the patch 72 will be apparent from the foregoingdiscussion. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17, the sheet material81 can be provided with a convex surface 95 facing the left ventricle 25rather than the concave surface illustrated in FIG. 13. As illustratedin FIGS. 16 and 18, the ring 87 can be disposed on either the interioror exterior side of the material 81.

The ring 87 can be attached to the material 81 by adhesive or bystitches 97 passing over the ring 87 and through the material 81.Alternatively, the ring 87 can be sandwiched between two pieces of thesheet material. In this case, a second piece of the sheet material 99can be positioned on the side of the ring 87 opposite to the sheetmaterial 81. Appropriate sutures extending around the ring 87 andthrough the materials 81 and 99 will sandwich the ring and maintain itin the preferred position. The second piece of material 99 can be formedas a circle with an inner diameter 100 less than that of the ring 87,and an outer diameter 102 generally equal to that of the material 81.

It will be appreciated that many variations on these preferredembodiments of the patch 72 will be apparent, each having a generallynon-circular sheet material, such as the material 81, and perhaps asomewhat flexible toroid or oval ring 87.

In a preferred method for placing the patch 72, interrupted sutures 105can be threaded through the Fontan neck 78 as illustrated in FIG. 21.Where the tissue is soft, the sutures 105 can be looped through pledgets110 on the interior side of the neck 78 with the free ends of thesutures 105 extending through the exterior side of the neck 78. Thesefree ends, emanating from progressive positions around thecircumferential neck 78, are passed in complementary positions throughthe body of the patch 72 which is initially positioned remotely of theneck 78 as illustrated in FIG. 21. Since the Fontan stitch 74 may beapplied to normal (although akinetic) tissue, the pledgets 110 arepreferred to insure that the sutures 105 are well anchored in the neck78.

Another method for placement of the interrupted patch suture isillustrated in FIG. 22B. In this view, which is similar to FIG. 21,interrupted sutures 111 are directed through the entire ventricular wall38 and exit the wall 38 in proximity to the protrusion 76 which formsthe Fontan neck 78. These sutures 111 can also be anchored in a pledgedstrip 113 disposed on the outer surface of the heart 12 to furtherenhance the anchoring of these sutures 111.

When all of the interrupted sutures 105 have been placed around thecircumference of the neck 87, the patch 72 can be moved from its remotelocation along the sutures 105 and into proximity with the oval neck 78.This step is illustrated in FIG. 22A where the patch 72 is embodied withthe concave surface 89 facing the neck 78 and with the ring 87 disposedoutwardly of the material 81. After the patch 72 has been moved into anabutting relationship with the neck 78, the interrupted sutures 105 canbe tied as illustrated in FIG. 23.

Having closed the left ventricular cavity 25 with the patch 72, one mayproceed to address any bleeding which may have resulted from placementof the Fontan stitch 74 or the sutures 105, especially from the regionof the septum 41. Such bleeding, illustrated by the reference numeral112 in FIG. 23, will typically occur in close proximity to the neck 78and beneath the region covered by the rim or flange 93 associated withthe material 81 of the patch 72. This bleeding can normally be stoppedby merely placing a suture through the ventricular wall 38 and the rim93 at the point of bleeding. A pledget 114 can be used to tie the suture105 with the rim 93 closely held against the bleeding wall 38. Thisreinforcing stitch, acting in combination with the rim 93 of the patch72, will usually stop any bleeding associated with the sutures.

With the patch 72 suitably placed, the operative site can be closed byjoining the myocardial walls in a vest-over-pants relationship asillustrated in FIG. 24. Care should be taken not to distort the rightventricle 21 by folding the septum wall 41 over the ventricular wall 38.Alternatively, the lateral wall 38 can be disposed interiorly of theseptum wall 41 so a majority of the force on the patch 72 is diverted tothe lateral wall 38. These walls 38 and 41 can be overlapped in closeproximity to the patch 72 in order to avoid creating any cavity betweenthe patch 72 and the walls 38, 41. When air evacuation is confirmed bytransesophageal echo, the patient can be weaned off bypass usually withminimal, if any, inotropic support. Decanulasation and closure isroutine.

FIG. 24 is positioned in proximity to FIG. 3 in order to illustrate thedramatic difference between the pre-operative dilated heart of FIG. 3and the post-operative apical heart of FIG. 24. For comparison it willagain be noted that the dilated heart of FIG. 3 might typically have aleft ventricular volume of 140 milliliters which might produce a bloodflow of 42 milliliters with an ejection fraction of 30%. Comparing thiswith the postoperative heart of FIG. 24, it can be seen initially thatthe ventricular volume is reduced for example to 90 milliliters. Thepercentage of viable heart wall as opposed to akinetic heart wall isgreatly increased thereby providing an increase in the ejectionfraction, for example from thirty percent to forty-five percent. Thiscombination results in a pumped blood volume of about 40 milliliterswith each beat of the heart 12.

These structural changes are somewhat quantitative in consideration. Buta further advantage, qualitative in nature, is also associated with thepresent procedure. It will be noted that this restorative procedureprovides the heart 12 with a more natural apical configuration whichfacilitates the writhing action discussed with reference to the arrow 47in FIG. 1. Thus, not only is the normal size of the heart achieved, butthe restoration procedure also achieves a normal heart operation. Incombination, the patch 72 and the resulting procedure significantlyreduce the long term effects of myocardial ischemia and overcome many ofthe causes associated with congestive heart failure.

It may be found that muscle function will be restored to some remoteareas following the altered ventricular architecture. Although not fullyunderstood, it is believed that this restoration procedure improvesremote segmental myocardial contractility by reducing the wall tensionand stress in the myocardium due to a reduction in ventricular volume.The stress equation states that—

${Stress} = \frac{P \times R}{2h}$

-   -   where    -   P is blood pressure;    -   R is radius of the heart wall; and    -   h is wall thickness.        The late recovery of hibernating muscle, which may be present in        akinetic muscle whose fiber orientation is directed helically        (toward the newly created apex). This progressive shape change        may provide further improvement in contractile function several        months after restoration. Reducing the ventricular volume        decreases the radius, increases the thickness, and thereby        reduces wall stress. This improves the myocardial oxygen        supply/demand relationship, but may also revive the        contractibility of otherwise normal but previously stressed        myocardium. At the very least, the reduced stress on the heart        12 is relieved along with any potential for congestive heart        failure.

A further advantage of this procedure relates to the incision 61 in theleft ventricle 25 which also provides access to the mitral valve 34.Replacing this mitral valve 34 through the left ventricle 25 is muchsimpler than the present intra-atrial replacement procedure. Coronaryartery bypass grafts also can be more easily accommodatedintraoperatively. As a result, all of these repairs can be undertakenwith greater simplicity and reduced time. While blood cardioplegia maybe advantageously used for revascularization and valvular procedures, itwould appear that the restorative procedure is best accomplished withcontinuous profusion of the beating open heart for cardiac protection.

Placement of patch 72 can be further enhanced by providing in the patchkit a plurality of sizing disks which can be individually held inproximity to the Fontan neck in order to determine appropriate patchsize. Similar discs, triangular in shape may be used for the inferiorrestoration process. The disks might have a generally planarconfiguration, and of course, would vary in size. Each disk might have acentrally located handle extending from the planar disk for ease of use.The patch 72 could be removably mounted on a holder also including adisk, on which the patch is mounted, and an elongate handle extendingfrom the disk to facilitate placement.

A procedure similar to that previously discussed with respect to theanterior patch 72 can be used to restore ventricular architecture to theinferior wall 44 of the heart 12. This procedure is illustrated in theprogressive views of FIGS. 25-31.

FIG. 25 illustrates the inferior wall 44 after the heart 12 has beenlifted from the patient's chest and the apex 37 rotated upwardly,generally about the base 35 of the heart 12. Thus, the base 35 which isnormally above the apex 37 is illustrated below the apex 37 in FIG. 25.Extending along the inferior wall 44 is the right coronary artery 120which branches into the posterior descending artery 122. A blockage orocclusion 126 in the right coronary artery has resulted in ischemiaproducing a non-contractive region 128 which is illustrated by shadingin FIG. 25. It is the purpose of this procedure relating to the inferiorwall 44 of the heart to remove the non-contracting muscle of the region128 from the ventricle and to restore the ventricular architecture aspreviously discussed.

This procedure is continued as illustrated in FIG. 26 by creating anincision in the inferior wall 44 in order to expose an inner surface 131of the wall 44 and the interior regions of the left ventricle 25.Opening the incision exposes the septum 41 and an annulus or base 133associated with the mitral valve 34. The incision will typically be madealong the non-contracting region 128 from a papillary muscle 135 nearthe apex 37 to the annulus 133 of the mitral valve 34.

As the incision is opened and the non-contracting regions 128 on eitherside are laid back, a line of separation 137 can be located between thenon-contracting region 128 and contracting regions designated generallyby the reference numeral 140. Basting sutures 142 are placed generallyalong this line of separation 137. These basting sutures 142 include abase suture 143 which extends between pledgets 146 and 144 along thebase 37. Similarly, lateral basting sutures 148 and 157 can be placed toextend along the line of separation 137 between pledgets 153 and 155,and pledgets 157 and 160, respectively. In an preferred orientation, thelateral basting sutures 148 and 157 meet at a basting apex 162 anddiverge to individually intersect the basting sutures 142 at the base37. Thus, the basting sutures 142, 148 and 157 form a triangle along theline of separation 137.

A patch 171 similar to the patch 72 previously discussed can beconfigured as illustrated generally in FIG. 28. This patch 171 can beformed from a sheet 173 of biocompatible material and a continuous ring175 such as the ring 87 previously discussed.

With the inferior patch, the conical form is unnecessary and a moreplanar or spherical configuration is preferable. This configurationhelps form the desired triangular contour for the inferior wall 44.

With the inferior patch 171, the sheet material 173 can be made ofpericardium or Dacron or fascia. The preferred material will be similarto that of the apical patch previously discussed, but can be autogenous,bovine, or porcelain pericardium. The sheet material 173 will preferablyhave a triangular shape as will the ring 175. In a preferred embodiment,the shape of the ring 175 is geometrically similar to that of the sheetmaterial 173. Thus, when the ring 175 is disposed centrally of the sheetmaterial 173, it defines a central area 177 and a circumferential rim179 having a generally constant width around the central area 177. Inpreferred embodiments, the triangular central area 177 will have sizessuch as 2×3×1 and 3×4×1. The width of the circumferential rim 179 willtypically be in a range between 1 and 2 centimeters.

This patch 171 is particularly adapted for placement across thetriangular opening defined by the basting sutures 142, 148 and 151 asillustrated in FIG. 28. In a preferred method, the ring 175 is sewn tothe neck formed by the basting sutures 142, 148 and 151 by sutures 180extending interiorly through pledgets 182. Similar sutures 183 can beplaced to extend entirely through the inferior wall 44 and an exteriorpericardial strip 184 in proximity to the lateral basting sutures 151.

With the patch 171 thus positioned, as illustrated in FIG. 30, thecentral area 177 partially defines the left ventricular chamber 25.However, the circumferential rim 179 remains exteriorly of the chamber25 and extends along the inner surface 131 of the non-contracting region128.

In a further step of this procedure illustrated in FIG. 30, thecircumferential rim 179 can be fixed to the inner surface 131 by arunning suture 186. In the manner previously discussed thecircumferential rim 179 thus sutured to the non-contracting region 128will inhibit any bleeding which may result from placement of the bastingsutures 142, 148, 151 or the sutures 180 and 183 associated withplacement of the patch 171.

By excluding the non-contracting region 128 and retriangulating thecontracting tissue in the region 140, placement of the patch 171facilitates restoration of the ventricular architecture along theinferior wall 44 of the heart 12.

As further support for the restoration procedure, a special sutureneedle is contemplated which has a proximal end and a distal end. Theproximal end is generally straight and accounts for more than half ofthe length of the needle. The distal end is curved along a relativelylarge radius facilitating initial penetration of the thick heart wall.Placement of suture 183 can be further enhanced by providing in thepatch kit a plurality of sizing disks which can be held in proximity tothe triangulation suture in order to determine appropriate patch size.With this configuration, the needle can be easily introduced through thethick myocardium, but then pulled along a generally straight path as itis removed interiorly of the ventricle.

The goal of these procedures is to restore the heart 12 to its normalsize, shape and function. This includes restoring the conical apex ofthe heart in order to achieve the writhing pumping action, andretriangulating the inferior (or diaphragmatic) segment. Thenonfunctioning segmental ventricular myocardium is excluded and replacedwith a patch so that the only akinetic wall of the ventricle is thatdefined by the small patch area. Not only is visual assessment enhanced,but more importantly, palpation affords the surgeon the ability tocarefully and accurately determine the circumferential line ofseparation between the contracting and noncontracting muscle. Thisdetermination is achieved although the muscle may have normal color andmay not contain either circular or trabecular scar tissue.

It is believed that cardioplegia arrest may be deleterious toventricular function in the open ventricle because of nonuniform flowdistribution. By avoiding this cardioplegia arrest and operating on abeating heart, aortic cross clamping as well as the use of inter-aorticballoons and ventricular assist devices can be avoided. Patch placementcan be intraoperatively adjusted guided by echo or radio nucleotidedata. Placement of the patch is further simplified by creation of theFontan neck 78 or triangular neck, and use of interrupted felt orpericardial pledgeted sutures 105. The circumferential rim 93 associatedwith the patch 72 facilitates bleeding control without distortion of thepatch 72. Finally, using a vest-over-pants closure of the excludedventricle obliterates dead space and provides security against patchleaks and resultant expansion between the site of closure of theejecting ventricle with the patch, and where the excluded muscle isclosed by the excluded ventricle.

If the patch has a conical or elliptical contour, the parts over ventclosure is excluded, so that progressive recovery of potentiallyhibernating muscle (previously akinetic) can occur so that the muscleitself forms the apex. The parts over vent closure may prevent this, andthat is the reson for excluding it.

Within these wide objectives and parameters, there will be variations onthe structure of the patch and the methods of restoration. Although thenon-circular configuration of the sheet material and ring are believedto be critical, the shape of the patch 72 may vary widely to provide thebest anatomical fit with the natural shape of the ventricle 25. Thesheet material 81 may be composed of a variety of materials, bothnatural and artificial. These materials may be woven or nonwoven toachieve a desired structure for the sheet material 81. The ring 87 maysimilarly be formed from a variety of materials and provided with avariety of shapes in order to add structure to the patch 72 withoutinterfering with the normal contractions of the heart 12. Variations ofthe steps of the associated restoration method might include mountingthe patch with a convex surface facing the ventricular cavity, use oftissue adhesives are also contemplated for attaching sealing andotherwise fixing the patch 72 to the Fontan neck 78 or the triangularneck.

Given these wide variations, which are all within the scope of thisconcept, one is cautioned not to restrict the invention to theembodiments which have been specifically disclosed and illustrated, butrather encouraged to determine the scope of the invention only withreference to the following claims.

1. A method for restoring the ventricular architecture of a heart havingan anterior wall and an inferior wall, comprising the steps of: creatingan incision in the inferior wall of the heart to expose an inner surfaceof the ventricle of the heart; forming a suture line around the innersurface of the inferior wall; providing a ventricular patch having asheet of biocompatible material and a triangular continuous ring fixedto the sheet and defining a central area of the patch inwardly of thering and an outer rim of the patch outwardly of the ring; sewing thecontinuous ring to the inner surface of the inferior wall so that thecentral area of the patch defines a portion of the ventricle of theheart; and sewing the outer rim to the inner surface of the inferiorwall outward of the continuous ring of the patch to inhibit the leakageof blood by the patch.
 2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein theinferior wall includes a contracting region and a non-contracting regionseparated by a zone of separation, and the creating step includes thesteps of creating the incision in the non-contracting region of theinferior wall; and opening the incision to expose an inner surface ofthe heart.
 3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the forming stepincludes the step of forming the suture line generally along the line ofseparation.
 4. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the opening stepincludes the step of spreading the incision to create a triangularopening extending into the ventricle of the heart.
 5. The method recitedin claim 2, wherein the outer rim of the patch includes a generallyconstant width around the ring.
 6. The method recited in claim 1,wherein the outer rim of the patch includes a generally constant widtharound the ring.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheet ofbiocompatible material is in the shape of a triangle.
 8. A method forrestoring the ventricular architecture of a heart having an anteriorwall and an inferior wall, comprising the steps of: creating an incisionin the inferior wall of the heart to expose an inner surface of theventricle of the heart; providing a ventricular patch including a sheetof biocompatible material with a continuous ring in the shape of atriangle fixed to the sheet and defining a central area of the patchinwardly of the ring and an outer rim of the patch outwardly of thering; sewing the ventricular patch to the inner surface of the ventricleso that the central area of the patch defines a portion of the ventricleof the heart; and sewing the outer rim to the inner surface of theventricle outward of the defined portion of the ventricle of the heartto inhibit blood from leaking from the ventricle.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the outer rim of the patch includes a generally constantwidth around the central area of the patch.
 10. The method of claim 8,wherein the sheet of biocompatible material is in the shape of atriangle.
 11. A method for restoring the ventricular architecture of aheart having an anterior wall and an inferior wall, comprising the stepsof: creating an incision in the inferior wall of the heart to expose aninner surface of the ventricle of the heart; providing a ventricularpatch including a sheet of biocompatible material with a continuous ringof pliable material in a non-circular shape fixed to the sheet anddefining a central area of the patch inwardly of the ring and an outerrim of the patch outwardly of the ring; sewing the ventricular patch tothe inner surface of the ventricle with first sutures so that thecentral area of the patch defines a portion of the ventricle of theheart; and sewing the outer rim to the inner surface of the ventriclewith second sutures outward of the first sutures and outward of theportion of the ventricle of the heart to inhibit blood from leaking fromthe ventricle.